1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a connector for electrical cords and cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the conventional connector is connected with an electrical cord or cable, the electrical cord or cable will often be twisted, thereby making it unable to keep straight and therefore causing difficulty in connection.
The conventional electrical cord or cable simply uses a sleeve made of iron sheet to hold an electrical cord or cable, so that it cannot keep an electrical cord or cable firmly in position. Furthermore, the procedures for the engagement between the cable and such a conventional connector are troublesome. In addition, in the case of strong winds, the cable will disengage from the connector and water may also penetrate into the cable.
It is necessary to use pliers for the engagement of the cable and the conventional connector, but as the component fitted with a cable is made of plastic material so that it will be easily damaged or even broken when it is clamped by the pliers for engagement.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,769,662 and 5,066,248 suffer one or even many of the above-mentioned drawbacks. In brief, these patents do not use any means to protect the plastic component provided on the electric cable, so that the component will be easily damaged, deformed, or even broken when the component is engaged with the connector. Furthermore, the cable cannot be firmly clipped and will easily disengage from the connector. In addition, water will easily penetrate the cable.
To improve the defects in the prior art, a U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,553, assigned and invented to the inventor of the present invention, discloses a connector. The connector includes a tubular body, a plastic engaging sleeve, a connecting sleeve, a connecting plug and a metal ring. The tubular body has a longitudinal through hole formed with a stepped recess at an end thereof, a first hole at an intermediate portion thereof, and a second hole at another end thereof. The plastic engaging sleeve has a stepped outer surface and formed with a conical longitudinal hole with a smaller inner diameter at the larger end thereof. The connecting sleeve has a tubular hexagonal nut portion from an end of which extends a cylindrical portion and is formed with a through hole having a recess at the outer end of the tubular hexagonal nut portion for receiving an O-ring, a circular rib adjacent to the recess and internal threads extending from the circular rib to an outer end of the cylindrical portion. The connecting plug has a longitudinal through hole for passage of an electrical cord or cable. The metal ring has a central hole for passage of an electrical cord or cable and fitted on the larger end of the plastic engaging sleeve for protecting the plastic engaging sleeve from damage.
However, although the invention has improved some defects in the prior art, but the plastic engaging sleeve having a round portion; and a metal ring is used to cover the plastic engaging sleeve. These arrangement is unbeneficial in the manufacturing process since in the manufacturing process, the round portion will be clamped so that the round porition will deform. Furthermore, the metal ring has no substantial effect of the connector.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a connector for electrical cords and cables which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.